Understanding
by vezrio
Summary: Chrom has feelings for Robin he doesn't quite understand, which leads him to pushing her away. With both general and tactician distracted and confused, Anna sends him to the Outrealms to help him understand his feelings. Rated T
1. Chapter 1

Chrom was certain that this feeling was new to him. The young prince of Ylisse had never known of anything like this; the feeling of warmth in his cheeks, the dampening of his hands, the loss of words in his head, the tendency of stuttering, the tightening of his chest, and most of all, the rapid beating of his heart, all coming together at the same time whenever he is at the presence of his close friend, his silver haired tactician.

At first, Chrom didn't know when or how it started. It was a giant puzzle and he didn't particularly like the alien feeling either. It always happened when Robin was around; which, in his case, was all the time. He, himself, knew that he had been too observant when it came to her. From the moment they first met, he had taken it all, absorbed by his eyes and engraved into his brain and possibly his heart. When he found her lying there in that field, he must have stared too long at her doll-like face, marveled at her snow white hair, her thin, beautiful, red lips. When she opened her eyes, he found himself immediately absorbed into her dark orbs that seemed to carry another world. It took him all his willpower to speak out to her then, instead of merely gaping at her like a village idiot.

"Chrom?" The Ylissean prince was brought out of his thoughts by a voice he knew all too well and found himself staring at the very same pair of eyes that made his breath hitch. In front of him stood the woman he had been dreaming about for the past few months, looking not at all too pleased.

Robin had been looking for Chrom for the past two days, itching to speak to him about their tactical options regarding the route he drew up for the march. Finding him was easier said than done. She knew that the prince was hard to find, it was a given and yet Chrom always had time for Robin. He never denied her that. However, for the past few weeks, the prince had been avoiding her, Robin was sure of it, he was.

"Chrom? Are you listening to me?" the silver haired tactician called out again in slight irritation. The said prince hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "Er, oh. Of course! …Actually, no. I kind of had something to… do."

Robin knew he was lying. He ran around camp away from her but that didn't necessary mean that he was busy. "Chrom, you're acting very strange. Are you hiding something from me?"

"H-Hide? You mean, **HIDE** hide? Oh, gosh, no! Nothing at all… Nope." Chrom was always so obvious, so easily read by the tactician.

"Then why are you fidgeting like you've got a squirrel in your pantaloons?"

"I-I'm not fidgeting! I'm perfectly relaxed. …And, er, normal."

Robin would have laughed at how desperate and hilarious her prince and commander looked then, but the way Chrom had been acting towards her as of late was too worrisome for her to just laugh at.

"And refusing to meet my eye?" Robin wanted to catch his eyes and see what they wanted to tell her, just like Stahl had taught her, but _they_ were so unfocused and they looked at anything and everything besides her.

"Listen Chrom. Didn't you say that we're close friends," _Close friends._ Chrom felt himself wanting to correct her. An itching feeling to just tell her, ask her if they could be something… something else. Something more. And that scared him all of a sudden. "…with no secrets between us? Didn't you mean that?"

"N-No! I mean, yes! I mean… I swear, it's not like that!" Looking at his tactician now, he could see how her features are scrunched up in confusion. Yet in his opinion, it did not lessen the beauty that she had.

"I know you've been avoiding me recently and I'd like to know why, Chrom. I think I deserve an explanation. Please, I can't go on pretending there's nothing wrong. Do you dislike my company now?" Chrom watched how her expression changed from confusion to hurt and that gave his heart a sharp stab. He never did like troubling his tactician in any way. That was one of the reasons why he would run around trying to lessen her burden, as discreetly as possible.

"D-Dislike you? Egads, Robin, of course I don't dislike you! Nothing could be further from the truth." He reasoned, trying to appease or at least lessen the hurt showing in Robin's face at the moment. Her expression softened for a while, she looked up, her eyes somehow hopeful that he'd tell her something she was expecting.

"Then why are you avoiding me?" she asked. Her eyes were absolutely binding and he felt himself wanting to tell her. But tell her what, exactly? _"I truly do love you, Robin. I'm in love with you."_ As soon as that thought formed in his head, he felt that certain feeling grow stronger ten-fold or by a thousand times more. He stopped, eyes growing wide, face growing hot and red, and he stepped back from his tactician. He didn't know how he felt about her. No, maybe he did, but it confused him to no end, he couldn't understand it. A new feeling he couldn't come into terms with. He knew he felt strongly for her, but how so, he didn't know and it terrified him so much.

Without saying anything else, he ran off, away from her before she could even call out to him.

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><p>It had been a week since their last direct conversation. Robin had decided to let Chrom be for a while, no longer seeking him out. The prince, in turn, has been spending more and more time with his sister Lissa. The only time they have ever come close to speaking directly was during their war councils, where Chrom would rush out hurriedly afterwards and go back to his tent to retire early, and Robin would remain there, or leave last. Either way, both have been visibly distracted for that week, and the other Shepherds have picked up on it almost immediately, yet they all refused to say anything.<p>

It had been one of those days when Anna, had approached the prince, presenting a map to the Outrealms, claiming it to be the solution to his 'growing problems'. She had described it as, 'close to their own world, with almost the same circumstances'.

"Okay lover boy, everyone knows how troubled you are in the arts of love." The merchant started, even before Chrom could refuse whatever she was offering him. That line managed to spark some curiosity in him, seeing as how he stopped whatever he was about to say. Chrom looked at her strangely before speaking.

"What?" that was all he could manage.

"Oh come now, we all know what those lingering stares you've been sending to our dear tactician mean."

"You've been staring at her for… let's say, all the time, and I've noticed that since the day I joined your Shepherds. If you don't believe me, ask the others. You should see how much tears the other girls have been letting out just looking at you and Robin. Honestly, I can't imagine why all this time you haven't said anything to her!" Anna grunted in slight annoyance.

"I still don't understand what you're talking about." Chrom said, backing away slightly from the woman.

"Yes, you don't, and that's what's gotten you and her into this mess!"

The merchant pointed an accusing finger at the prince before pulling away. "Milord, you simply don't understand, that's why you and Robin are looking like hopeless Risen walking the camp, and I'm telling you, if you don't understand and pull yourself together quickly, you'll be losing something mighty important." She scrunched up her eyebrows and shook her head.

"The war?" Chrom asked in obliviousness.

"Hmm… probably. And something more important, I guess."

Two days later, Chrom finds himself standing in front of the Outrealm gate with Robin by his side and a few select Shepherds behind him. Close by, a contented looking Anna looks at the group, her hand unconsciously going down to the pouch on her belt, which held the gold coins Chrom gave her in payment for the so-called-solution-to-his-problems map.

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><p><strong>So, that's my first time actually writing a Fire Emblem fanfic. I had a lot of ideas but most of them involved Morgan and all the other future children so when I had this idea for a first gen pairing, I quickly went with it. Hope it's alright though<strong>

**R&R please! That'd help me a lot**


	2. Chapter 2

All this time, Chrom thought that didn't know what to feel towards her. No, he did. He had been feeling this since the beginning, since he first saw her, but it had only been recently since he recognized it. It had only been recently since he admitted it to himself. But why couldn't he admit it to her?

Looking at his tactician, who was standing beside him, he knew that his feelings were clear and sure. He loved her. Everything about her. So why was he so reluctant to admit it? Shaking his head, he turned to face her.

"I—" his sudden call caused Robin to turn to him, eyes as calculating as ever, although she seemed much more distant from him. It couldn't be helped; after all, it was him who had been distancing himself from her first. She raised an eyebrow at him, signaling him to continue as they stepped into the Outrealm gate.

"You know, Robin I—" he stopped, how would he say it? "I-" he was about to say it. But it was just bad timing on his part, before he could continue; a white light engulfed them, blinding him and shielding Robin from his sight as the gate brought them to a different world.

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><p>Despite how many times he'd gone through the Outrealm gate, he still couldn't get used to the feeling. It was strange and he just couldn't welcome it at all.<p>

Adjusting his eyes, Chrom expected himself to be in some field, greeted by another merchant Anna, with Robin beside him and his army just behind him. However, what greeted him were blue skies and white clouds drifting above him. Beneath him, he could feel the blades of grass and the blowing of peaceful winds. He didn't want to sit up just yet, despite the confusion he was starting to feel. He knew he was… strangely alone.

"Milord?" there was that familiar voice he remembers so much. Tilting his head up, his eyes found a familiar face, the lovely Robin, towering above him. "Excuse me, milord, but there are better places to take a nap than on the ground." She smiled kindly walking closer to him and kneeling just beside him. He sat up as soon a she did, to face her.

Robin seemed different. It seemed as if she was… even more distant than before. She smiled at him and tried to talk, but he could feel how she was keeping her distance, how she was putting up a wall between them. Not only that, she really _looked_ different. Instead of her usual dark cloak, she wore a dress similar to what the maids back at the castle wore. A simple creamy white dress that stopped just below the knees with three-fourth sleeves, a blue vest, black stockings and boots that reached a few inches further up her ankles. Her long, snow white hair, which was usually tied in twin tails were kept in a bun, before being concealed in a piece of cloth, which he presumed, is to keep dirt away, he wasn't so sure.

"Robin?" he called.

"Y-Yes milord?" she squeaked, obviously flustered and strangely surprised when he called.

"Why are you dressed like that? And didn't I tell you before to drop the formalities? Just Chrom is fine." He said, not making any move to get up. Robin backed away slightly as if uncomfortable. She looked around before bowing her head meekly. "B-But, milord, this is what all maids in the palace wear during work a-and someone like me is not worthy enough to call you by name." she murmured.

Now he was puzzled. Robin, a maid? He would have shaken her gently if he didn't remember that he was in the Outrealms at once.

"A-Ah… yes. But all the same, call me Chrom. I insist of it."

"A-As you wish milo—Chrom"

As Robin uttered his name, he saw her tense visibly, blush red and shake her head. "U-Um… C-Chrom, your sister, lady Emmeryn has wished for your presence at once. T-That would be all… milord!" she all but nearly screamed before standing up and running away.

That was strange. Robin was strange. It was all strange. For starters, Robin was a maid, not a tactician. Second, she had lost all the confidence that Chrom found charming in her. Third, and although it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Emmeryn was alive. Other than that, it was all the same; maybe it was the 'different circumstances' that Anna had mentioned. Still, it was weird how he didn't see any of his friends. There was Robin, but she seemed different and she didn't seem to be the same Robin he knew on top of everything else. He was beginning to wonder where everyone else went.

Thinking of nothing else but that, everything passed by like a blur. He spoke with Emmeryn and with the Ylissean council, met with the Lords and ladies of the court, spoke with Frederick (who didn't seem to remember or bring up any topic about stepping into the Outrealm gate) and he was starting to think that he must have ended up in a different world than the others. Yet, he could not find it in him to panic.

Nothing was amiss, except for his older sister being alive and Robin being a simple maid instead of a glorified grand tactician. Thinking back to the tactician, he had not since her since the morning. He was just about to go ask for her when he heard Lissa's voice echo from out of nowhere. Following it lead him to one of the rooms near to where he was originally standing. Looking inside, he saw his sister talking animatedly with a maid, who, upon closer inspection, turned out to be the said, snow-haired tactician.

"Lissa, Robin." Chrom called out suddenly. Both heads turned to look at the prince and quickly, Robin stood up and gave him a bow. "Good evening milord. Chrom. Milord Chrom." She stuttered, earning a high pitched laugh from Lissa. "Oh lighten up Robbie! It's just my brother!" she laughed, to which Robin gave her an exasperated look. Chrom was sure that she wanted to say otherwise, but thinking of her position as a maid prevented her from doing so.

"Milady, to me it's not just… 'Your brother'. To me, he is… p-prince Chrom." She stuttered nervously, playing with the sleeves of her dress.

"Riiiight. Prince Chrom." Lissa grinned at Robin before standing up and stretching. She hopped off her chair before turning to the prince and patting him on the shoulder, having to stand up on tip toes. "Well brother, it's getting late. I should be seeing you. G'night big bro! G'night Robin!" Lissa sang as she skipped away out of the room and into the hallway.

"W-Well milord, I must go as well. Good night to you." She smiled quite nervously, hurrying out before Chrom could catch her or even call out to her. The need of wanting to talk to her burned in his chest as he sat there alone. Especially seeing as how just a while ago, he was ready to tell her his feelings.

Robin woke up early the following morning. Because she was staying at the palace grounds, it was easy to get to work. Dressing up and taking a quick bite before working, her ever sharp and calculating mind drifted to yesterday's events. Prince Chrom had talked to her. He had really talked to her. Sure, she was close to his two sisters, to Frederick and the other Shepherds as well, but he never really talked to her. She would greet him sheepishly, he'd respond in kind, but that was all there is. She knew Chrom was friendly and a willing listener, but he was never the first one to initiate a conversation with her. But yesterday, he talked to her! Robin had a giddy feeling just thinking about it, her face felt hot, blood seeping into her cheeks, coloring them pink. Oh, how lucky for her, a mere maid, to talk to her prince, indeed. Still, she would never expect it to happen again. So, instead of merely daydreaming about an event passed, she grabbed readjusted her apron and her head piece and headed out to start the day, early and cool, a perfect time to sweep the courtyards.

Robin whistled contentedly at how the courtyards were empty early that morning. She liked it that way. Peaceful and quiet, and although she was grateful for the constant merry chatter, she would honestly prefer the melodic silence around her.

It had not been an hour since she started sweeping the courtyard that she felt a presence behind her. Turning around sharply, she almost crashed against another figure. Looking up, her dark eyes, met with tantalizing blue orbs. It didn't take long before her face flushed red in embarrassment, and she quickly backed away, tripping and falling back in the process.

"P-Prince Chrom! G-Good morning!" Robin cried, hurrying up to her feet just as Chrom was about to offer her his hand. Chrom, seeing her distress, offered her a warm smile instead, hoping to dismiss whatever anxiety she had. However, rather than relieve her, she tensed up even more and looked down on the ground, suddenly finding interest in her feet. Guilty sensations stabbed his heart, knowing that the Robin he knew well only did that when she was truly troubled, or close to having a breakdown, which was rare. As far as Chrom knew, Robin always held her head high, her eyes confident, with a knowing smile that could infect anyone who saw it. The Robin in front of him now was a nervous mess. It did not help that he seemed to be the constant reason for her anxiety.

A pregnant silence hovered above them as Chrom only stood there watching her squirm. He noticed how she would stiffen even more with every passing second and he momentarily panicked. "Yes! Good morning!" he all but shouted, finally realizing that he had been staring at the quivering girl for the past minute, offering no kind of reply at all. Robin flinched at his sudden reply, something which Chrom did not miss. He mentally skewered himself with an imaginary Falchion for surprising her.

Another silence followed after that. It seemed as if Robin was itching to get away, clutching her broom ferociously, the way she would clutch a sword. Her cheeks showed no signs of returning to their usual pale color and she wouldn't meet Chrom's eyes. Looking up for a minute to look somewhere else, a ghost of a smile formed on her face before she looked down again.

"U-Um milord… I should… go back to my chores now. A pleasant morning to you again." She said, speeding away to the direction where she looked at before. Following her with his eyes, he watched her run up a distance before stopping in front of Frederick, who was, strangely, in full armor early in the morning, to greet him. She was sporting her usual, happy smile as she talked to the knight, who seemed to be pleased at whatever she said. The two chatted even more before walking away, leaving Chrom to himself in the courtyards. He felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the two chat the way he and Robin used to.

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><p><strong>I have no idea how Ylissean maids look so excuse my lack of imagination. Oh and Robin might be really OOC here but yeah that's purely intentional. So yah enjoy my messed up story telling<strong>

**R&R please! love ya guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

It was only later that day when Chrom had seen the other Shepherds. As expected, they were the same although most of them had different stories on how they were recruited. Gaius was said to have ambushed Chrom in one of his secret escapades in town and, having been impressed with the thief's skills, took him into the Shepherds. Panne was found by Emmeryn as a child and being the last taguel, took her in as well, and later on pledged her loyalty to Ylisse as a Shepherd. Gregor and Nowi were traveling together, and after aiding the prince one day in defending a village from being ransacked, followed the prince at once. Libra's reason for joining was simply to aid Ylisse in times of trouble. Tharja, on the other hand, had been living in Ylisse for half of her years and only joined the army upon seeing their tactician, who, was of course, not Robin.

Of course, Chrom had somehow expected it, seeing as Robin really was a maid serving under Lissa (something he found out from observing how the silver-haired woman was always around his younger sister) however, he was more of hoping that they had no tactician in the first place, seeing as he really could not imagine anyone but Robin filling in that role.

Now despite his expectations, Chrom would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised to see a young woman with a determined face and lavender colored hair, which his friends call their tactician, going by the name Katarina, or as some would call her, Eine. Compared to Robin, she is much more stoic, rarely showing any form of expression. Her conversations are brief and despite her willingness to engage in a conversation, her cool demeanor often seems to throw off anyone approaching her. Even the way she spoke to Chrom was a bit distant.

On the other hand, Robin was a constant presence in the army garrison, always there, doing an errand or two, conversing with the Shepherds for a moment here and there. It was as if she was still part of the army, just like back in Chrom's world, still a source of energy and joy. That was probably one of the things he had noticed on his second day's stay in this other world. Robin's behaviors towards others were not any different than before, but the way she would act around him, avoiding him as if he was the plague, it was painful. Suddenly, he'd remember how he once did that to her too, before, and he would think how he must have deserved this.

Among the other things that Chrom found out about this world is how peaceful it was. His father was a good man, never waging war on any other kingdom, a beloved ruler who died of a horrible sickness. His sister Emmeryn was welcomed immediately after she took the throne. Gangrel was a great leader and Plegia was one of Ylisse's top trading partners. There were no risen or prophetic Marths around. Chrom would have loved this world and yet, something drew him back to his own. Chrom did not have to think too much of the reason why.

* * *

><p>Nothing much had to be done. Chrom had forgotten the blandness of peace. Not that he was ungrateful for it but… he was used to the fighting back in his own world. He was used to weapons clanking and merry chatter everywhere he went. He was used to sleeping in tents and the restless atmosphere. Most of all, he was used to nights with Robin, talking about strategies or other useless, random things that just happened to have found their way into their heads. He just missed her smiling <strong>at<strong> him because now, all he could see is her, smiling at everyone else **but** him. And gods, he couldn't even talk to her now! Thinking back to what he had done to her before, avoiding her whenever she sought after him, he felt guilty, the longing to talk to her, worsening. He wished he just faced her then and told her directly.

Just as he was thinking of her later that night by the hallways, as he leaned against a window, it was a coincidence how she had appeared, walking together with Stahl. Laughing and chatting like they usually did, and while it was never really a problem to him before, now he just wanted to take her hand and lead her away from the knight. That thought just made himself curl up mentally. And yet, that was what he did. Or would have done, had she not noticed him standing there staring. The moment she did, she immediately tensed and scooted over to Stahl by just a little as if she was caught doing a crime. "G-Good evening milord." She stuttered again, something the prince had already expected.

"Good evening Chrom." Stahl greeted, obviously in a good mood. Well, Chrom thought he always was whenever in the presence of the tactician. "Good evening." Chrom greeted back. Deciding not to look like an idiot like earlier, he took a deep breath and looked at Robin, who shriveled up under his gaze. It was almost horrifying to him. "Um if you don't mind, I would like to talk with you…" he started as he watched Robin look at Stahl, almost as if she didn't want him to go. She was about to turn away when Chrom called her name and froze almost instantly. Stahl had to tap her shoulder, seeing as she was staring up at him absentmindedly, looking almost shocked that it was her name he called.

"O-Okay…" she mumbled, stepping forward, towards Chrom, before turning back to look at Stahl, who waved at her encouragingly. Once the knight had left, Robin was left standing in front of Chrom, who was now racking his brain of what to say to her. He had called her out on impulse. He had never really thought about what to say to her.

"Robin?" he finally called.

"Y-Yes milord?" she called back in surprise, hesitantly looking up at him.

"I was wondering… would you like to walk with me? Maybe talk as well?" For a moment, he was sure that Robin would refuse. There was a look in her eyes that said she would. However, a deep sigh later and she nodded.

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><p>The walk itself was awkward, with the both of them keeping silent and refusing to say anything. Chrom could feel Robin lagging behind, as if refusing to walk beside him. "Why are you so cautious of me?" he finally asks. He couldn't stand seeing her act that way. He sees more of the painfully shy Olivia than the confident and trusting Robin whenever he approaches her.<p>

"I'm… Not at all milord! I'm not… cautious at all." She muttered, somewhat under her breath. The way she let it out was too fast, her nervousness getting the best of her. Had Chrom not been used to hearing Robin speak, he wouldn't have understood her reply then.

"Then… nervous? Why do you seem so nervous? Tense?" he asked. He look back to steal a glance and the way she hesitated told him he hit the nail right on the head. "W-well, you see milord… You are a prince. Um… if a royalty like you were to talk to a common person like me I'd be surprised or… anxious." She said slowly, never looking up to him at all.

"But you seem to be at ease with my sisters and not me. Why is that?"

"Um… I-If I may be so bold sire," she started, although she stopped again as if deciding whether to continue or not.

"Go on." Chrom urged.

"We have never… had a… lasting conversation before… milord." She said, her cheeks slowly turning pink. He noticed how she tugged on the cloth on her hair slightly, just like how the Robin back in his world would tug at her hood when embarrassed. He never really told anyone, but he found the gesture endearing. "This is the first time you've asked to talk to me milord." Robin added. Chrom was taken aback. How could the Chrom of this world not talk to her? If she was Lissa's handmaid, then surely they would have crossed paths numerous times already. But to not talk to someone as charming as Robin? Chrom was wondering what else this other Chrom was missing. This brings him to another question. If he was here, then where could the Chrom of this world have gone? Well, that was a question for another time, he thought.

"Really?" he found himself asking. The woman gave him a confused stare, but nodded nonetheless. "How long have you been working for my sister again? I'm sorry, that must have been a stupid question, I just… I'm having trouble remembering" he asked, which earned him an even more confused look from Robin. "Since her 8th year, milord. I have been in service for seven years now." She said, her eyes looking a little downcast. "B-But it's nothing to apologize for milord. I am not a person of importance; you did not need to remember me."

That fact just made it worse. Seven years and they had never had a proper conversation in that time frame. "What? It's been seven years. I could have talked to you a thousand times then." He groaned, finally voicing out his thoughts. Robin began panicking slightly, raising her hands as if to appease him.

"It's quite alright milord, I—"

"It's not!" he muttered slowly, suddenly cutting her off. "I—"

Chrom paused, looking at the woman in front of him, suddenly realizing how distressed he's grown just by finding out how much time the Chrom of this world has wasted ignoring her. Robin was looking as nervous as ever, her eyes once again directed to the floor or the hallways they stood in. From the nearby window, Chrom could see how the moon had risen up, giving the place a beautiful glow, the tactician included.

"I'm sorry." He sighed, waiting for her to look up at him. Chrom knew she probably wouldn't so much as glance up at him, given how anxious he's made her, so he continued. "I just… realized how much time I wasted. I could have been laughing with you now, the way Lissa could, had I not ignored you for too long."

"Oh no, you did no such thing, milord!" Robin finally looked up, shaking her head. "You would not ignore me! Whenever I greeted you, you greeted back! It's just… maybe your interests lie elsewhere?" she laughed, although slightly, it sounded a bit forced, it could have came out as a groan.

"Still, that's not enough. Robin I—" Chrom started, the curious look in Robin's eyes, enough to make him continue. "I… want to get to know you better." When a lack of response came, he rubbed his arms, afraid that she might run away from him then and there, seeing how tense she looked; she could have shattered like glass any moment. "Is that okay?" he had to add, just to elicit a response from her.

Suddenly, without him expecting any of it, she looked at him right in the eyes, a pink hue dusting her cheeks and a happy smile formed on her face. It was not the usual cheerful smile she gave others. He's seen it a few times on Robin's face back in his world and Chrom knew it was reserved for him. There was just something that told Chrom that it was only for him and he felt proud of that. "I-I would love that… Chrom."

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><p><strong>AN**

**Since this is an Outrealm or different world, we get a different tactician from a different world (or timeline)! Anything's possible in the Outrealms! I think...**

**So I used Katarina from FE: Heroes of Light and Shadow since she's the only one who I've heard of that's aspiring to be a tactician (plus, when you recruit her in the FE:A DLCs, she's a grandmaster) The game wasn't released outside of Japan and I've never played the game myself or seen how she interacts with any of the characters so I don't know much about her or how to portray her. I just visualized her as the cool, slightly detached-to-anyone-except-towards-Marth-and-Kris type; a person who is awkward at first but is quick to warm up to someone. I would've used Soren or Mark or anyone else who's called a strategist or tactician but I preferred Katarina since I don't see her that much in fanfics although I doubt that she'll be appearing in this fanfic so much.**

**Then, Lissa's age. She's 15 here. I think I read something about her canon age post time-skip being 14-15 and Chrom being 18-19, then Emmeryn being 24-25. I would have thought that Chrom was older seeing as he's leading his own army and all, but yeah...**

**Anyways, the story's probably going a biiiit too fast... or really too fast, but bear with me, my mind's a mess, I'm sorry**

**R&R please, that'd hepl a lot, thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

The fact that she finally called him by his name was… an improvement, despite how little it seemed. Robin looked like she had done it purely on impulse, as reference to how she would call Lissa by her name and sometimes, Emmeryn as well.

However, after that, giving her a few seconds, Robin finally realized it and immediately thought of it as a grievous mistake. Her smile dropped, face growing painfully red and she quickly stuttered, mumbling 'milord' numerous times, as if to make up for calling Chrom by his name.

"Um yes milord! That would b-be nice of course. Milord." The moment she had even finished that one sentence, she was breathing hard in a panic. Chrom had to stop himself from laughing, lest he scare the poor girl even more. "You know it's perfectly alright to call me by my name right? I did tell you this yesterday." He said, and despite his best efforts, a soft chuckle escaped him. Robin nodded, not even looking into his eyes.

"Looking up at me is alright too." He added. Reluctantly, Robin looked up at him and stifled a smile, something Chrom did not miss. Well, so far so good. She somehow had a hard time focusing on him seeing as she tended to look away or look down most of the time. A good self encouragement must be running through her head as she keeps springing back up to look at him and soon enough, she found it less difficult. The next step now is to make her feel more comfortable talking with him. However, with how ridiculously shy she was with him right now, Chrom wasn't expecting her to say anything or initiate a conversation. Normally, with the usual Robin back in his world, silence was never awkward but right now, he was sure she was starting to grow tense again. Since he called her out with the excuse of wanting to talk to her, he figured it was best he start talking or else he was sure she'd come up with an excuse to get away from him soon.

"So!" he started suddenly, slightly surprising the woman beside him. "You… have been really busy these days haven't you? I always see you running around doing one thing or another" he asked, and earned a confused look and a nod from her. "Y-Yes milord. Duties of a maid must be done fast and well." She said with a fond tone. Her answer was brief and Chrom couldn't find any other comment to reply to her. Of course she is. What else was he expecting? Even as a tactician, Robin was always busy. She just can't stand idle very long. Chrom felt like an idiot for having chosen the wrong topic to start off with. It quickly lead him to a dead end and newfound awful silence.

"Er- you know, you actually remind me of someone I know very well." Chrom started again, hoping this would spark her interest. Based on how her eyes lingered on his face for a few moments longer, he must have succeeded. "I do?" she asked, although with how quiet it came out, it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yes, you do." Chrom smiled, nodding. "She was a… dear friend to me. She's lovely, gentle and intelligent and a lot of people like her, with the way she constantly smiles and seems so happy." He added, and being so enthralled with how he described the Robin of his own world, he failed to notice how the Robin in front of him fashioned a slightly envious expression.

"She was a mystery, an amnesiac who could not remember anything apart from her name… and mine." It was only then that Chrom looked back at his companion, who was then looking out the window, observing the starless skies of the night.

"She must have been a wonderful woman milord, the way you described her says so." She smiled distantly. "And you say that she is an amnesiac? I suppose that is one thing we have in common." Robin said, turning to the prince. Knowing that he was about to ask about it, Robin made an inaudible sigh and gave him a small smile.

"I don't know if you remember or heard, milord, but before I came to the palace, I knew nothing of my past; where I used to live, who my parents were or if I had any parents in the first place; I did not even remember my own birthday. Then Frederick and Lady Emmeryn saw me there, in that forgotten alley. They were the ones who gave me my name and on that date that they found me, I have decided that it would be the day when I was born again." So it was Emmeryn who found her this time in this world. Chrom had always taken pride in being the one to have found her (or more correctly, him and Lissa). He loved thinking about the fact that he was the one to take her in and first welcomed him as a comrade. Her first friend.

"Did you ever wonder about your past? Ever tried to get your memories back?"

Robin stayed silent for a while, thinking of a proper answer before shaking her head. "I did. A lot of times. But then I realized that maybe it did not matter anymore. I have been making all kinds of wonderful memories since the time I was found and I thought that it was all that matters." Chrom smiled at how unnervingly similar this maid was to his tactician. He decided that it was because they really were just one and the same. It was just their circumstances that differed.

"You know, that was the same answer that my friend gave me when I asked her that same question." Chrom admitted. "She wasn't so concerned with her past memories as well. She was just focused on making new memories with the persons she cherishes most."

After that, Robin gave him a hum of content. It was like she had something to say or ask, but she couldn't bring herself to talk. Chrom nearly groaned at this. It seemed that she was still so anxious around him and that every attempt of his to get her to talk more would always lead to an awkward silence. It was never like this with his tactician. Back then, Robin always knew when to talk or when to stay silent, what to say or what to ask. Well, except for the last few days back in his world where he noticed Robin trying hard to talk to him. Or reach out to him. He made things so awkward and hard for her when she was trying to get past it. Now, it was him who has to try hard. If that was what's needed to be done, then he'll do it and keep trying.

"You and Lissa get along very well don't you?" he asked

"Y-Yes milord! I suppose we do…"

"And with Emmeryn?"

"She's a very gracious lady. It is hard not to like her."

"I noticed you talk to Frederick a lot too."

"I learn a lot of things from him."

"You do, don't you? It's almost as if he can do anything, that Frederick." He laughed. He had always admired Frederick for his endeavors. Not just him, but everyone else looked up to the knight as well. "Oh, definitely milord! Even Lady Maribelle has been taking up lessons from him. Imagine that."

"So I've heard…" Chrom smiled. Robin was slowly adjusting and relaxing around him. Just a little more and maybe she would treat him more like a good friend rather than a worshipped deity.

"Say, not just with Lissa and Emm, you get along well with the other Shepherds. You'd pass off as one if I didn't know any better." He stated, finally addressing the fact that she seemed well-liked by his comrades in this world too. At that mention, Robin flushed and shook her head.

"Oh no milord! I couldn't possibly be one of them! I can't handle weapons at all. The best I could do is lend an ear for Lady Katarina and maybe… share some advices every now and then… But even in that field, I am not confident. After all, I am no tactician, let alone a grandmaster. I am fortunate that Lady Katarina even listens to me in those rare moments." She smiled sadly, as if wishing she were. Chrom had to fight the urge to tell her it's not true, that she was, and will always be the greatest tactician and a formidable fighter in his eyes but he was afraid of scaring or confusing her. It would have been easier if she was more confident in herself maybe, but even then he wasn't so sure.

"And the Shepherds are all brave, wonderful people. They are all very amusing to be with." The way Robin said it held a certain fondness and Chrom knew that even in a different world, her love for them hadn't changed at all. It was clearly obvious that they reciprocated the feeling.

"Leaving Lissa and Frederick, is there any particular Shepherd that you're especially fond of?" Chrom had to ask. He had always wanted to ask Robin, but he couldn't. Not at all. It was sudden, especially since this particular Robin in front of him was still somewhat anxious around him, but the prince did not even stop to think about that. Only when her face grew red and she started stuttering did he realize that it probably wasn't the best question asked. He could no longer take it back though; with how distracted and disturbed she looked, he doubted that Robin could even hear him now. Still, he was curious.

While Robin gets along exceptionally well with every other female Shepherds, it was noticeable how the males seemed to be good friends with her too. Robin always seemed to be talking with Frederick, despite the initial wariness the knight had for her. Sometimes, they seemed to be making a ruckus in the mess hall with Robin cheering for Frederick during their 'bear meat-eating training days'. She was often accompanied by Stahl and Gaius, the two always tagging along whenever it was her turn to make meals or shop for provisions and other equipments (although he suspected that their motives were to coax Robin into buying them extra food). Of course, Stahl was a close friend, one of the first to warm up to her. In the past days, he saw Gaius constantly seeking out for some reason which seemed to annoy the tactician. Every time he'd think about that, jealousy would creep into his chest, despite knowing that Robin was only being friendly.

"-is the Shepherd that I a-admire the most!" he suddenly heard Robin say. Looking back down at the woman, he saw that she was completely red faced and embarrassed and he suddenly realized that he was too engrossed in his thoughts that he had completely missed the name of the Shepherd she looked up to the most. His curiosity doubled, not expecting her to actually name someone. But when she did, he was not listening.

"W-What? Who was that? Sorry I missed the first part." He said frantically, anxious of her answer. He wasn't assuming that he would actually hear his name, but the thought of her naming someone else, even if that person was another woman, frightened him. It was like he desperately wanted to hear her say Chrom. His name.

Robin looked surprised and awfully mortified then, as if she was too reluctant to repeat her answer. She was avoiding his eyes, but he must have looked too pleading, because after what seemed like an eternity, she finally relented. She took a deep breath and slowly looked up to him. "Milord." She said shyly and quiet, "The person that I look up too… It's—"

Before she could continue, however, a shrill voice came from the other end of the hall, calling for her. "Robin! Robin, are you there?" It was Lissa. That was the first time he found himself _really _vexed with her sister's presence. Upon spotting the maid, the cleric cheerfully ran up to her and gave her a beaming smile. "Robbie, I was looking all over for you! I have something to show you before we hit the sack and- hi brother!" Lissa greeted, finally noticing him. Chrom tried to smile, uncomfortable with being disturbed like that. Sure Lissa often barged in but somehow this was really important. To him at least.

"You two doing something?" the cleric asked, to which Robin ferociously shook her head. "O-Oh nothing! Just- talking…" she smiled and Chrom could see how she tried hard to will down the blush on her cheeks. Lissa gave her a suspicious look, but shrugged nonetheless.

"Well if that's the case, then brother, I will be borrowing her for the night yeah? Can't have you stealing Robbie all the time!" Lissa quickly took Robin's hand and impatiently led her away. Robin nodded and mumbled a soft good night to him, quickly following Lissa's retreating form. She did not even give him a chance to respond as she left him there, standing dumbly, mumbling "goddess help me" to himself. With their situation, he thought maybe divine intervention would be good, but at least he seemed to be making progress.

He watched Robin's retreating figure until she was no longer in sight before he turned to the opposite direction and walked back to his quarters. He still has tomorrow, after all.

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><p><strong>AN**

**Well, that's the end of this for this chapter! I've been thinking about the next few chapters and I've been thinking of how to write them smoothly**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews! Gets me motivated really**

**Oh and regarding that review about Chrom's father and the Plegian war, yep I know it by heart (after playing the game several times now out of addiction) and although it happened in the _original_ world, the setting of this story is in the outrealms, in an _alternate/parallel_ universe and I made it so that the Plegian war never happened in this world, there are no bad father kings who love to start wars, Gangrel is not a mad king, Emmeryn never threw herself off from a cliff and is still Exalt, Robin is not a tactician and some Shepherds have different recruitment stories._ Again, this is all happening in a parallel universe. _ **

**But thank you soooo much for trying to point it out hehe. I feel so loved by your reviews and criticisms**

**R&R guys! Thanks again!**


	5. Chapter 5

The only time Chrom ever felt so sleepless was when Emmeryn had thrown herself off a cliff back in his own world. At that time, it was hard. Everything was. He remembered how he would just lie on his cot and look up at the ceiling of his tent, thinking of nothing but her; Emmeryn. He couldn't sleep a wink, he couldn't even close his eyes for ten seconds without seeing her falling down and hitting the ground with a loud thud. In his mind, he could hear Gangrel laughing hysterically, making cruel japes at how pathetic he and the other Shepherds looked at that time. Chrom thought he was drowning, choking on air, even when he was back at the camp. Lissa was inconsolable then and Robin… Robin looked so calm it was as if she didn't even witness what had just happened. Chrom didn't know what to feel at that, so he retired early to his tent, ignoring everyone who came to him.

He couldn't sleep at all then. It was two days of sleepless nights before his tactician finally came to him, sitting close to his cot as he lay there with his back facing her. He felt selfish, he knew that. With his silence it was as if he was blaming her even though he knew that Robin couldn't have helped it. Even though he saw how pained Robin looked as Emmeryn fell, how desperate her eyes were then, how her scream was among the loudest. He knew Robin wasn't at fault. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to say anything. She called his name. Once, twice; it was at the fourth time that she decided that Chrom wouldn't respond and after that, he heard a sigh. It was so quiet he would have missed it. But he didn't. He heard her. And when he turned his head to spare her a glance, he finally noticed it. The tears flowing down her cheeks, dropping silently on the back of her tightly clenched fists.

Then he finally understood. Robin was hurting as well. That night, they held each other's hands and cried into each other's arms, seeking for comfort or solace, assurance that everything would be fine when it looked like it wouldn't. That night, Chrom had the most peaceful sleep he had ever felt in ages.

He never thought that he'd have another one of those sleepless nights again. And this time, for a whole different reason.

He was once again lying still on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking of nothing and nobody else but _her_. Robin. The woman he loved, the woman he had unknowingly considered as his other half long before he even realized that he loved her (if that was even possible). He was also thinking about what she had said earlier before. '_Dammit, who is that Shepherd?' _he screamed inwardly. Lissa had to go and interrupt them of course, and now it was tormenting him. He couldn't sleep, he could only toss and turn in his bed. He wished that Robin would console him and hold his hand like before but he knew that this Robin couldn't. The Robin of this world, who thought of herself as _'only a mere palace servant'_ wouldn't dare. He wanted her to say that he was her favorite Shepherd. Her **ONLY** favorite Shepherd. A childish demand, yes, but if that would put his mind at ease then so be it. But he couldn't do that now, no. He wouldn't risk scaring off someone as fragile as her. After all, he could even barely get her to talk! Still, he would take baby steps. Slowly, but surely. Yes, that was the plan.

Although he was somehow satisfied of his thoughts, he still lay there sleepless, his eyes wide open.

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><p>When dawn came and Chrom had decided that he will not be getting any sleep for the night, he got up, put on his regular palace attire and strode out of his room. It must have been too early because he still hasn't seen any other servant, apart from the guards stationed on watch, anywhere. Even Frederick seemed to be missing. Swiftly, he made his way to the stables, saddled on his horse, and rode to the Shepherd's garrison close by the capital in mere minutes. Upon arriving, he thoughtlessly took one of the training dummies and went on to sharpening his swordsmanship. He moved mechanically then, he thought of nothing, he wanted to think of nothing. He desperately wanted to distract himself from everything else right then and there.<p>

Two hours and a gaping hole on the wall later, he decided that he had done enough damage for the time being and collapsed into an uncomfortable sleep on one of the cots stocked at the back of the garrison. The sun was already up when he opened his eyes.

He was greeted by the sight of the other Shepherds. From his secluded corner, hidden in sight, he could see Sumia talking to Gaius over snacks (it was a little too early for that, but if it's Gaius, it is perfectly normal), Stahl and Sully talking animatedly while polishing their armor, with Virion trying to woo the uninterested female knight. Libra was off saying his morning prayers in the corner, Gregor and Cordelia moving weapons and, after narrowing his eyes hard enough, Chrom spotted Kellam, just standing in the middle of the room, going by unnoticed as usual. When the door slammed open Lissa came in, with Frederick and Robin hot on her heels. Following the three were the tactician Katarina and Tharja (who, despite saying that she has an obsession with Katarina, still has the unconscious tendency of following and stalking Robin around for some reason). The newly arriving group was talking to each other, or more precisely, it was Robin and Katarina engaged in a serious talk. Other three would say something from time to time then resume listening to the two.

At the sight of Robin, Chrom immediately sat up, suddenly alert, surprising everyone in the room, Robin included. He did not miss her surprised expression and how she jumped away slightly in shock, before turning her eyes somewhere else. Chrom felt his heart sink a little.

"Captain! H-How long were you there?" Sumia squeaked, turning to him with a worried expression.

"F-For a while." He lied, chuckling softly. "Just checking if… if the cots are still useable." He said, patting the cot he sat on for emphasis.

"If it pleases you to know milord, I have checked and repaired any which shows signs of damage the day before so as not to inconvenience you when in time of need." Frederick cleared his throat, before turning to the hole in the wall. His eyes lingered there for a while. "I should also take care of that… minor crack on the wall. Excuse me then, milord." Frederick sighed before bowing and turning away. By then, Chrom couldn't care any less of what Frederick was about to do. His eyes were locked on Robin, staring hard as if she would disappear the moment he looked away.

Robin, as perceptive as ever, didn't take long before noticing and immediately felt a surge of embarrassment run through her. Face flushed, she quickly blurted out, "milady, I shall be lending Frederick my assistance!" she exclaimed, running off to find the Great Knight. It must have been intended as a small whisper, only for Lissa to hear, but it came out as a shrill shout which confused the princess.

For a time being, he had anticipated Robin's return; probably to pull her away for a while for a nice chat, to resume what has been interrupted the night before. Not that he was going to ask her the same question as much as he wanted to, gods that would be strange. He didn't want to look any more desperate and pitiful than he already seemed.

True enough, he saw the servant girl hours later although she was too busy to stop and greet him. She was accompanied by Miriel, both carrying tall stacks of tomes, engaged in an intellectual conversation he couldn't understand. Unsurprisingly, even the Robin of this world was smart; he was wondering why she was a maid and not a scholar.

After seeing her with Miriel, he next saw her running abnormally fast together with Vaike. She was carrying a basket of herbs which spilled as she ran. They were being chased by Sully's horse. Chrom had often wondered why the Robin of his world was so afraid of the knight's horse. He should have known that it had something to do with Vaike.

At midday, he heard from Lissa that she had sent Robin off with Stahl to the capital to gather ingredients for a tonic she was making. He didn't see her for hours after that.

The next time Chrom saw her was hours long after the sun had set. He was preparing to go back to the palace. Lissa and Frederick had already returned and he was the last one to leave. For one reason or another, the Shepherds had already filed out. As he was gathering his sword, he noticed two figures entering the garrison. It was Robin and a certain ginger haired thief. Not noticing the prince, who was standing well off in the distance, the two seemed to be bickering, with Robin looking displeased at the thief. Gaius, who seemed a bit desperate then, dug inside his coat, possibly looking for something in his many pockets. It didn't take him a while before he produced a necklace, glimmering as the light of a nearby torch caught sight of it. Somehow, it looked familiar to Chrom.

He watched as Gaius offered the accessory to Robin with a confident grin. Robin furiously shook her head as if rejecting it. She did smile in gratitude. A moment later, after giving her an explanation as it seems, Gaius once again offered the necklace to the servant who, although hesitantly, sighed and nodded. Smiling victoriously, Gaius moved behind her to put the necklace on Robin, who, in turn, stroked the accessory gently, a small, radiant smile on her face.

It was then that Chrom recognized the necklace. The Robin back in his world always wore it. He often wondered where she got it but he never tried to ask. So it was Gaius who gave it to her. Watching them now laughing and smiling, he felt his heart clench violently. He felt rooted to the spot. He himself had once offered Robin a necklace when they stopped at a shop during one of their marches. It was beautiful, worth a good bag of gold. Robin had declined, saying she did not need something so extravagant. Looking at the jewelry hanging on her neck now, it looked like it was worth a lot too. Just thinking about it frustrated him. He turned away abruptly, but it seemed that sneaking around wasn't Gaius' only strong point. He forgot that the thief was perceptive too. A bit too perceptive. He wouldn't be surprised if Gaius had already noticed him since the beginning.

"Hey Blue! You still here huh?" the thief asked, using that absurd nickname he insists on calling him.

"Y-Yes. Just… looking for… Frederick." He lied, looking away when Robin glanced at him.

"Oh. He's went ahead with your sister ealier. Bubbles and I were just picking something up before going back. Wanna come along?" the thief offered, walking across the room to gather his things, strewn around in a clutter. Robin rushed to follow him, offering to help him carry to keep her from standing idle the whole time. A part of Chrom wanted to say yes, maybe catch a moment with Robin and talk, but he knew that if Gaius or if anyone else was there, he wouldn't get the chance. Of course he could always call out to her like last night, but after seeing what happened, he felt his resolve weakening. Did he even have a chance? Would he even get one?

"Ah no I'll just… stay ahead for awhile longer. I recalled I had something to do." He lied again. He wondered if Robin would stay behind and keep him company. Looking at her, it seemed like she was hesitating, thinking if she should stay behind as well. But then she said, "We'll go on ahead then, good night milord" and left with Gaius. Chrom sighed and sat dejectedly on a crate right then and there.

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><p>When Chrom got back to the palace, he was exhausted. He didn't do anything particularly stressful or strenuous, but he was tired and he partly blamed a certain ex-tactician. He was moping about how he didn't get to talk to Robin again that day and all the enthusiasm he had early that morning was gone. He sighed as he walked and he uncharacteristically slumped against a post standing in the hallways. He couldn't pull himself up at all.<p>

Quite a while had passed when he felt a hard slap against the bare skin of his shoulder. Gritting his teeth and shuddering, he turned around and came face to face with his sister Lissa, who was grinning impishly at him. "Lissa! Gods, what do you want?" Chrom fought down another exasperated sigh as he pushed himself up properly.

"Oh nothing brother… just wondering where you went, seeing as you missed dinner with me and Emm." Lissa chanted, ignoring her brother's look of annoyance. "I was back at the garrison." He grunted. His eyes darted quickly behind Lissa, expecting a white-haired woman close behind. He found no one and sighed dejectedly once again.

"Looking for Robin?" Lissa suddenly asked, bringing Chrom's eyes back to hers. "W-What?" he stuttered. The mere mention of the servant's name caught him off guard.

"You know brother, don't think I haven't noticed it. You're suddenly interested in her!" Lissa said, putting her hands on her hips, looking at him with a knowing look. "Before, you were so indifferent about her presence and just a few days ago, you're suddenly daydreaming about her!"

"What? I don't daydream about her."

"Oh please Chrom. You can't fool me. I'm your little sister. Plus, I know those kinds of looks when I see them."

"Even Emm's noticed, y'know? Says you're lovesick and you've fallen hard. Is that why you're always so distracted and you sigh just as much as Cordelia? I'm right aren't I?" Lissa's grin just grew bigger when Chrom failed to answer. He was never good at lying to his sisters. "So… love troubles huh. You can't talk to her because Robbie just shies away from you. Well never fear Chrom! I've got a solution for that!"

Chrom has sometimes hated how perceptive his sisters are. It's as if he just couldn't keep any secrets from them and that itself, is true enough.

At that time, Chrom was too distracted to refuse or ask about the said plan. He was often wary about Lissa's plans, but maybe he was just too desperate for development to even ask. Especially now that he's been made awfully aware of other competitors for Robin's attention.

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><p><strong>A.N. <strong>

**Right so... slow developments here ahaha orz but I'm getting there I promise! **

**I'm kind of sticking to Chrom's pov now since I noticed a few instances where I shifted to Robin's pov back in the earlier chapters. It's confusing so I'm trying to avoid that. Plus I'm going to throw in support convos here and there sometimes if that's still not obvious.**

**Oh and lastly, among the other Shepherds, who can you visualize as the closest to being prince material? Like, if Chrom wasn't the prince, then who would it be?**

**Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites btw. You guys are the best! Til next time! I'll try to update faster for everyone's sake haha :'D**


	6. Chapter 6

If asked, Chrom would admit that he couldn't remember anything about Lissa's self-proclaimed genius, fool-proof plan to get Robin closer to him. The night before, when Lissa had not-so-discreetly and excitedly told him all about her plan, Chrom had been spacing out, as unusual as it was. He was too drunk on his own distress to process anything his little sister said. So when he woke up the next morning when soft knocks were heard from his door, he would admit that he was expecting Frederick or some other nonchalant servant, and not Robin. When her pretty little head peeked in from outside his room after he called her in, he was suddenly awake, patting his hair furiously in an attempt to fix his bed hair and look decent enough for her.

"R-Robin! Can I help you?" he asked, confused as to what she was doing there. Of course he'd be glad of being able to see Robin so early in the morning, but with her approaching him, it was confusing as it is. The only reason he could think of was Lissa sending her to him. Having been questioned, Robin suddenly shifted in confusion and looked at him with a frown, brows slightly furrowed, as if he was expected to know the answer. "Um… Lady Lissa said that you requested my assistance. I was told to stay by your side for a while as milady orders me to." Robin stepped inside Chrom's room as she spoke. She pushed the door back, to close it for a bit, yet refusing to move any farther away from the door. She kept her head down all while waiting for Chrom's response, which came long after an awkward silence.

Chrom, on the other hand, did not remember mentioning anything to Lissa. To be fair, he really did not remember anything at all so he must have mentioned it carelessly the night before. That or it must have been the plan Lissa was talking about. It could have been both. By the time he had gotten to that conclusion, he had momentarily forgotten that Robin was still standing stiffly and nervously by the doorway. When he had noticed and called, she visibly jumped in surprise. He figured he had to keep trying to get her used to his presence and keep her from jumping in surprise every time he called her.

"Err—yes, right. I'm sorry it must have slipped my mind. Thank you for… your assistance?" he wasn't sure of his response. He didn't even know what to say. Her awkwardness was starting to rub off on him and he tried to suppress a groan of frustration. "By the way… did Lissa… did my sister mention anything? About what I need help for, I mean? I uh… can't seem to remember." He knew he was looking downright ridiculous with his questions. People saw him as a strong, decisive character, one who was sure of his decisions. Right now, he was acting more like a drunkard trying to grasp whatever drunken decision or action he's made during an intoxicated state.

At his question, Robin looked away, a ghost of a grin and a small blush fighting their way over to her face. Chrom would have found it endearing, if not for the fact that that grin involved Lissa. Whatever it was Robin was grinning about, it was probably something Lissa had said and Chrom was somehow dreading whatever it was that his sister told her. "Well… Lady Lissa said that you were… um… feeling lonely and you have been wanting to talk to me? Ithinkthat'swhatshesaidI'mnotsosuremilord!"

Chrom just watched as Robin stuttered and spat out her answer in a hurry and buried her face in her hands in embarrassment at having to say such a thing. Chrom could feel the heat rising to his face. He was lonely? That was best excuse Lissa could come up with? Now he was looking more like a desperately lonely drunkard. Plus, she was making Robin look like one of those cheap courtesans who displayed themselves at brothels with the excuse of 'keeping men company'. Chrom groaned and slumped forward, burrowing his face in his hands, mirroring Robin's actions. Lissa, may Naga bless her pure soul.

"I… suppose that's one way to put it." He sighed, finally recovering from the embarrassment. "Although, if I were to put it in a more delicate way, I'd say that I am in need of someone as hardworking as you to help me with my… paperwork and other royal chores and at the same time, have someone to talk to as well." He coughed. Hopefully, that was a better reason that provided more delicacy and less innuendo. Of course, that was Frederick's duty, but Chrom could think of another excuse for that later.

"Would that be alright with you?"

"Y-Yes milord, that would be an honor." Robin said, showing him a sincere smile.

Chrom would have cherished that moment and continude staring, if not for Robin remembering something. She quickly rushed to his bedside with the same look Chrom remembered her carrying when she thought of a great strategy. "Prince Chrom, I was made aware of your daily schedule. Right now we need to hurry; your sisters might be waiting for you for breakfast. Would you like me to draw a bath for you milord? I shall also prepare a change of clothes for you. Please hurry now." She said, urging him to get out of bed. Once he did, he was surprised at how fast she worked. In one swift moment, his bed was already made, smooth and proper, as expected of Lissa's handmaid.

"I shall draw the bath now milord…" she said, patting her dress. Any hints of shyness that she carried just a while ago were gone. She suddenly sounded very professional. He laid a hand on her shoulder to catch her attention and she brought her eyes up to him in confusion. "No, I can do it myself. I don't want to stand idle waiting while you do it." He said. Chrom would bet that Robin could do it properly in less than five minutes and he wouldn't have to stay idle for too long. The reason he wanted to stop her was for purely personal reasons, and as much as possible, he would like to keep the words 'Robin', 'Chrom' and 'baths' away from each other. He suddenly found himself blushing to the tips of his ears and reminiscing a few unsavory moments.

"Y-You could just help me choose my change of clothes if that's alright." He stuttered.

"That would be an honor milord." She smiled, and he rushed out to his bath.

Half an hour later, he finds her standing outside his room waiting for him. They walked together for a short while until she excused herself, saying she had other chores to attend to while he ate breakfast with his sisters. Chrom, on the other hand, joined his sisters, both of whom were looking at him, suspiciously amused.

Emmeryn, thank Naga for Emmeryn, was not the kind of person to dig around for anything deemed too personal. Lissa, on the other hand, was a different story. Lissa, who had no sense of discretion, was grinning wide, from ear to ear.

All throughout breakfast, Lissa had been sending Chrom all kinds of impish grins and wiggly eyebrows for a reason Chrom did not want to ask. He found himself red in the face three minutes after he sat down to eat. Twice, he nearly choked on his food and on both accounts, Lissa nearly spat out her food laughing. Not very princess like, but that was Lissa for you, at least she tries.

Ten minutes after an awkward and embarrassing silence with drops of knowing hints (at least in Chrom's part), Lissa finally dropped the question. "So how are you two doing?" Chrom gulped and suddenly looked up at Lissa like a child caught with an embarrassing secret (which might probably be just the case).

"I heard there was uh… a rival, let's say, a certain orange haired thief with an unspeakable love for sweets that appeared." Lissa added, which gained Emmeryn's full attention. The question was not very precise, but Chrom was certain Lissa was talking about him and Robin and she was referring to Gaius. He couldn't really say anything about his and Robin's relationship progressing because the only time they had a decent conversation was nights ago and early this morning, and even that was about how Robin had a good sense of fashion.

"Robin is still nervous around me so I'm trying not to scare her too much. I don't want to rush any progress. A-And I don't see Gaius as a rival. That's absurd, why would we be rivals? My relationship with Robin is purely platonic; there is absolutely nothing to compete for." He answered, although the way he described his and Robin's relationship was obviously unsure and hesitating.

"Robin? I actually meant Sumia. Y'know, since I think you two look great together but recently I have been seeing Sumia with Gaius quite a lot. It's kind of worrying. Oh but if you want to talk about Robin, then that's fine too." Lissa chided, her head bowed to hide her smug grin, coughing slightly to stifle her laugh. Her shaking shoulders were a clear indication that she was laughing though. Emmeryn was looking at him with the same gentle smile she always had, but a raised eyebrow meant that she was just as amused at him.

Chrom inhaled sharply and reached for the goblet of water close to him. She was talking about Sumia? Chrom thought she could have been a bit more precise with her question. Chrom refused to speak all throughout the meal, momentarily forgetting his manners and stuffing his mouth full every time he was expected to speak. He was also the first to excuse himself after breakfast.

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><p><strong>A.N. <strong>

**This one took longer than expected. It happens when you've got college exams to worry about and your professors and college schedule is uncooperative so I'm so sorry for the long wait! My mind is all over the place so if you find the following chapters messier and even more sub-standard than usual, then that's just the effects of college exams I'm sorry, I'll get it together soon, promise. Really. I hope haha**

**Then, R&R please, thanks again for taking the time to read! And for all the reviews, follows and faves too!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chrom ran into Robin immediately after breakfast. She was waiting for him not far from where he sat, as how other servants did. Of course, he should have expected that. She was blushing furiously, eyes on floor and playing with her fingers. There was no denying that she heard the whole conversation, his big mishap and his quick denial and declaration of their current relationship. Everything was a big mistake. Just as they were already on their way to having a more… civilized and equal relationship and _possibly_ start a romantic one, Chrom had to go and shatter whatever route available for him. How was he supposed to continue on now? He had no idea how to approach her. Regardless of that, he was met with a greeting and Robin running up to him to remind him of his duties for the day, with Robin immediately acting professional like she did earlier.

"After that, how you decide to use the rest of your day is up to you milord." Chrom was not really listening to her tell him his daily schedule. He had memorized it from years of Frederick repeating it to him every morning. Unsurprisingly, his tasks in this world did not differ from the ones he had in the original world before tensions with Plegia started arising. He was still thinking of his big blunder. It was a thought that occupied his mind throughout the whole day.

"And for now milord, Sir Frederick is expecting you for your lance training. He has instructed me to direct you to the training grounds after your meal. Shall we go milord?"

The day had gone by peacefully so far, with Robin a constant presence by his side. At training, Robin patiently waited on him with a towel to wipe his sweat and a drink to freshen him up. During the council, she held his papers for him and handed him whatever he needed. During the small breaks that he would have, Chrom would talk to Robin about little things, to which she'd respond formally and stiffly, much to his exasperation. To his surprise, the day wasn't so tiring and he was sure it was because Robin was there with him. And it was also partly because she did not mention anything about the events that morning; otherwise he would turn into a mumbling mess almost instantly. At the end of the day he has already forgotten about it and was more than looking forward to finishing all his tasks as soon as possible so that _maybe_, he could ask her out for tea. He had never been so impatient in all his life.

When he finally finished reading and signing all the paper work assigned to him, Chrom was, more or less, already in the process of composing different lines on how to ask her, if she had any free time that is. However, asking her seemed to be harder than he initially thought, and he found himself taking huge, deep breaths, making him look like a dying fish out of water, gasping desperately for air. _'This is it'_, Chrom thought. Commence scenario number one, line number one. He quickly turned to Robin, who was then standing beside him, organizing the papers he had set aside. His sudden glance to her made her stop uncomfortably, making her stare at him cautiously.

"Robin. Do you have free time this afternoon?" he asked.

"Um… unless milord sends me on an errand, I believe I have free time." Great. Proceed to scenario number one, line number two.

"You have free time then? What do you usually do during that time?

"I usually just read to Lady Lissa or follow her around whenever she wishes to look around town. Accompanied by Sir Frederick or Sir Stahl of course."

"No hobbies you want to do?"

"Nothing that I could think of milord." So far so good, he has to quit stalling and ask her. She is unoccupied after all. She stopped and frowned, thinking. Chrom watched her as she did. This is going smoothly. He thought. "Well then, would it be alright if you—"

"Oh yes!" That was a quick answer, Chrom had to admit. Although that sounded very much like an exclamation rather than an answer. Proceed to scenario number one line fo-

"I'm terribly sorry milord, but Lady Katarina had asked me the other day to help sort out her tactical books as she did not have time to do so these past few days. I understand that it was very reckless of me to just answer her without consulting you or Lady Lissa first, but I have already agreed to it. W-Would it be alright to offer her my assistance? I-I understand if you would not allow it." She mumbled, looking very regretful. He clenched his fists.

When he gave her his consent that was the first time he saw her smile so brightly in this world.

Ah damn it all. Damn it all to hell and back. Chrom was slowly dying on the inside. He didn't want to rush Robin and yet he just couldn't get a chance. Why must people interrupt him when he was just about to make a move? He'll never get anywhere like this. He sighed. What was he supposed to do then?

"Do you… can I help?" he mumbled. He was sure she wouldn't hear, but a small "what?" from Robin proved him wrong. She was staring at him with a surprised expression, as if she did not expect that at all. "Milord, that's not- that's not a very relaxing way to spend your afternoon." She stated.

Normally, he would say, 'I could say the same for you' but if this Robin and the Robin of his world were the same, she'd take it badly and give him a winning argument that would leave him speechless. Only, this Robin would certainly do so in the most polite manner he could think of. And so he settled for the best response. "I, well… you see I—"and there he was again, unable to say what he wanted to say. Robin was looking at him expectantly, almost like how the Robin back in his world did and he was still stuttering his words.

"Milord, maybe it's best you should rest, you've had a very long day."

"No, Robin I- I just… want to talk to you… more." He said. It's true he's just using the current situation as an excuse to spend more time with her but he was growing desperate and being desperate meant that being subtle was already out of the question. Robin looked away for a moment and smiled. It was faint, but it was there, Chrom was sure of it.

"Milord, you don't need an excuse to talk to me." She mumbled. "It w-would be a delight to converse with you."

That led him to an afternoon with Robin in Katarina's study. The sheer amount of books present was no surprise as Katarina was not only the army tactician, but also Emmeryn's advisor. The study was neater than Robin's tent but still relatively messy. Apart from books and papers lying around, there was no sign of the tactician. When Chrom asked, Robin simply answered with 'Lady Katarina had other things to attend to.' They spent their time mainly arranging the shelves and putting the books in place, organizing the papers, Chrom reaching up the higher shelves while Robin instructed him and sorting out trash. It was Chrom who rambled most of the time although he had managed to make her read to him an excerpt from a random book that he picked up. He wasn't really listening to her read, he was just thinking of how lovely her voice was. It didn't matter if she was shouting a deadly magic spell in the heat of battle, mumbling inaudible tactical maneuvers during war councils, bickering with him or simply reading aloud like this. All that mattered was that she had a beautiful voice and his name sounded best when she said it. No, everything just sounded a million times better when she talked.

His only regret was that their clean up finished sooner than expected. Of course, Robin would read and sneak glances at books from time to time, but even that wasn't enough to slow her down. She worked fast as usual. After that, Robin had suggested him to visit Emmeryn and ask her out for tea. The two headed for dinner along with Lissa who, this time, kept her teasing to the minimum and instead, talked of how she had managed to make Frederick waste time with her. Once dinner was over, Robin excused herself and bid him goodnight, as Lissa had apparently called her back for the day. Chrom spent the remainder of the night sitting in the palace courtyards, looking at the sky and thinking about nothing but Robin.

As Chrom was about to go back to his room, he heard a few soft steps walking over to him. The steps quickly stopped right behind him. He wondered who could be venturing outside at this time of the night. Frederick did not have anything to discuss with him, Emmeryn should be sleeping by then. A servant would have said something by now, instead of standing idle behind him for so long. It could only be Lissa, and if he knew any better, this would be about her ingenious plan.

Without turning around, he finally addressed her. "Lissa it's late. I'm about to sleep, whatever this is, it can wait tomorrow." That would certainly silence her. Although, it wasn't Lissa who was behind him. Immediately after those words left his mouth, Chrom finally turned around and realized that he had addressed a disappointed-looking Robin who held a tray delicately in her hands with a teapot and a pair of teacups and plates to match. She was avoiding his eyes.

"R-Robin! What brings you here?" he stuttered. The servant looked up abruptly, a slight tinge of fear and guilt present in her eyes. "I-I-I'm so sorry milord! I did not stop to think that you were about to retire for the night! A-Ah please um… I'm sorry, you must be really tired, I must leave you to rest." She said shakily. Before she could turn away, Chrom laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"No wait, you came here for something. I'll hear you out." He smiled as kindly as he could, while he watched her look down at the tray on her hands. "Y-Yes milord."

Chrom watched her pour him tea. She moved elegantly, her slender fingers clasping the handle of the tea cup with grace that he thought only saw when she drew magic from her hands. "Milord, your tea." She pulled him out of thoughts when he saw her holding the cup out to him. He took it gratefully. It smelled wonderful. She sat next to him, looking at him expectantly but saying nothing.

"Why visit me at this hour?" he asked.

"Well um—I thought milord would want a nice cup of tea to help sleep. I heard from Lady Lissa that this is a habit of yours." She answered.

That wasn't true at all. He could sleep just fine without any drinks. But any excuse to talk to her was welcome. "I suppose you could say that. This flavor, it's my favorite. Did you also hear that from Lissa?" at his question, Robin furiously shook her head. "Um no… I well- Whenever Sir Frederick cannot attend to it, which is rare, I prepare your tea. Sir Frederick has given me specific instructions as to what you and your sisters prefer and how it is to be prepared, so brewing tea is something I might be familiar with."

"Ah, I see." And from then, suddenly began another moment of awkward silence. Chrom had a lot of things to tell her, a lot of stories to share, a lot of questions to ask, but they would never come out of his mouth. The glinting necklace she wore distracted him and he suddenly found himself debating whether he should ask her or not.

"So… yesterday, I just happened to be there but… you and Gaius?" Chrom swore that it did not sound like that at all in his head. Actually, he did not mean to ask at all, but he just suddenly blurted it out. Either way, he sounded cooler about it like, 'that's a beautiful necklace you're wearing' or something akin to that. But of course, what comes out of his mouth is something not very charming.

"Excuse me? Me and Gaius? I think you have the wrong idea." She quickly replied, crossing her arms. "Gaius is a sweet guy, but I don't think we'd see eye to eye if we were to engage in such a relationship. Did you have any idea how hard it was to get him to stop bribing me? It was annoying the whole time. I'm actually amazed Lady Sumia could put up with it. Milord." The last word was added abruptly after she finally noticed who she was talking to, surprised at her sudden and rude outburst.

"I-I'm sorry milord, I did not mean to—"

"That's fine, that's fine. I actually find it very refreshing to hear you talk like that." Chrom laughed. That sounded like the usual Robin just now. Chrom watched her go quite red in the face. Of course, rather than paying attention to how she just talked to him so casually, he was paying more attention to the fact that she herself, had denied having any sort of romantic relationship with the ginger haired thief. Tonight was turning out to be a good night.

"So, is that necklace a bribe then?"

"It was supposed to but… he said it was to show gratitude. Also, he made it himself so I suppose it would be a waste to refuse it."

"He made it himself? But by the gods, that's amazing. I thought it was worth a good bag of gold on the market!"

The night drew on and the tea had already turned cold when the two of them finished their conversation. Robin was still adjusting for the most part and Chrom was still trying hard to be as casual as he once was without rushing her and yet, they finally managed a civilized, undisturbed moment. Twice. In a single day. That was a big achievement. When Robin had excused herself, the both of them were wearing contented expressions.

"Robin." Chrom called out before Robin could leave the room.

"Milord?" she asked, looking back as she balanced the tray on her hands.

"Robin I... I hope we can talk like this more. As friends, I mean. And please, call me Chrom. Just Chrom. This is the last time I'll ask this of you."

"Would that be an order milord?"

"No… a request. From one friend to another." He smiled.

Robin turned away slightly before turning back to face him. She was smiling, looking so beautiful standing there in front of him. "Of course… Chrom." He was right. His name really does sound better when she says it and he was feeling victorious right now.

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><p><strong>A.N.<strong>

**Well there goes another chapter. Honestly I have a general idea on how this story is going to end and what's going to happen, but I have no clue on how to progress their relationship. I suck at romance see? (especially since I'm starting to lose grasp of Chrom and Robin's personalities. I write 2nd gen kids better) hahah well, I hope you guys have had a great holiday! New Year's coming too so... well yeah**

**R&R please! Thanks for taking the time to read and all those guys who follow/fave/give reviews**

**I'm serious when I say your reviews give me an idea on what to write, really**


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